Spice and Wolf 5: Horo is really a 21st century teenage girl

This episode of Spice and Wolf was split into two halves, the first was of boring political babble and reused scenes while the second was of Tsundere Horo and reused scenes.

Tsundere Wise Horo, and I know she looks very much like a female dog, is not just anybody’s bitch. When she needs a rescue it looks like only noblemen in possession of white horses and an 100 cavalry need bother apply. While I’ve always liked her headstrong and independent attitude, it gets out of hand when she’s being an ungrateful bitch; and when she refuses to have Lawrence catch her jump, thus depriving her fanbase of a comedy pantyshot moment.

Horo, for some reason, would prefer to be dissected by the church then find freedom though a clever trick using the sewers (which wasn’t only copied off the last scene of speed). Then, as if her defences were made to keep Germans out of France, Horo dissolves into a pile of tears and fur. Laurence for his part was really cool, a gentleman’s gentleman, he handled Horo-crisis with tenderness and skill. Does Horo deserves someone as good as Lawrence?

Which brings us to Chloé. The little village girl who, I am told, is missing from the original light novels. She seems to have been busy after making an appearance as a love-rival to becoming one of the church’s ringleaders and megalomaniac progressive. What a meteoric rise this is, but I hope that it has more to do with merit than this guy’s pedophillic gaze. This sets things up nicely, for later in the story, Lawrence will get caught up between Chloé and Horo, between the authorities and nature.

I think Spice and Wolf is really showing it’s origins as a light novel. While there is potential for serious economics (Thoreini’s flawed idea to press more coins!) and ridicule in the political struggle between the church and the east india Medioh company, this sort of stuff is not suited to anime conversion since you end up having 10 minutes of jackanory bullshit that is not very fun to watch. You lose something in a book where the cover is the most interesting part.